


Fortuitous

by orphan_account



Category: Glee
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-06 09:36:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1853251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From unexpected allies to something more significant, Tina and Puck don't do things by half after being exposed by babygate and stuttergate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. We Have to Start Somewhere

**Author's Note:**

> This is a repost of my story, 'Unexpected Hearts' from ff.net. I'm giving this story a second shot.

Ever since she told Artie about her not really having a stutter, Tina was feeling miserable because she lost her best friend and the first guy she ever really liked. It was crazy how much she came to depend on his presence at her side. At least they've managed to be civil when it came to glee club matters but that was the only time that he willingly spoke to her. The Asian girl had to wonder why someone as smart as Artie Abrams could not realize the significance of her willingly and choosing to tell him her deepest and darkest secret, or one of them anyways. She sighed as she tucked some hair behind her ear as she shut her locker. In order to avoid another awkward encounter with him, she quickly moved towards the exit because she knew he'd be passing her locker soon because they take the same route home since they live so close. However, she was tired of the dirty looks, so, she's started to try to leave earlier and it’s worked mostly. Another sigh escaped the young woman's lips as she shook her head to push all the thoughts of her former best friend from her mind because that was not the time to dwell on the pain and other negative feelings that thinking about the wheelchair bound boy stirs up in her mind.

Tina grabbed her bag then looked around before stepping outside of the school building and started walking in the direction of the home. It was a nice day out so she didn't mind walking home, actually, it was something that she preferred especially when she had someone to walk or roll home with her but now, she walked because she had things that she needed to think about and work through. As she was walking, the Asian girl wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, so when she was almost and caught sight of one of her fellow glee clubbers, she was startled because she hasn't seen him around this part of town before and wasn't sure if she should approach him or not because well, they haven't really talked before. However, given the current situations and that they're both on the outs with the others in the club, everyone could use someone and she didn't think that anyone else would approach him. She tucked some of her hair behind her ear as she made her way over to the bench where the male figure was sitting without paying any attention to what was going on around him.

There was just something about seeing Puck sitting there on that bench and looking so forlorn and lost on that bench that something just reacted to inside of the Asian girl. She took a deep breath as she prepared for what she was about to do because there was a high chance of him biting her head off and part of her was still confused as to why she was approaching The Noah Puckerman at all. As she got closer to the bench, Tina was kind of surprised when he didn't react at all to her presence so she decided to chance it and sat down on the other side of the bench, careful to keep some space between them then placed her bag down on the ground by her feet. She wasn't sure how she should start this or explain why she didn't ignore him like the others have taken to doing lately. Minutes seem to pass without either person saying anything to each other as a gentle breeze blew by them. As she was about to say something, Tina felt the bench move slightly and she turned her head to look at him.

"What do you want, Gothika?" The words were said in a somewhat harsh voice despite Puck not even looking at her. Tina bit her lip but decided that he'd appreciate her being honest with him even if he wouldn't admit it. "I…I don't know actually. Maybe, you just looked like you needed a friend." He snorted in response to her words. "Why would you even bother? Don't you have people you can go be 'friends' with?" Shaking her head, she paused to think about how she wanted to word her reasoning. "Because I can relate to what to your going through at the moment and I'm familiar with the self hate or whatever you want to call it that's currently showing on your face and in your body posture." Something in her words must have set something off inside of him or something because Puck turned to look at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "How the hell could you possibly relate to what's going on?" The Asian girl ran a hand through her hair before meeting his eyes. "You don't think that I can't relate to making a stupid mistake that ended up hurting someone that I care about and now, that person is holding that mistake against me and making me feel like an outcast?" Tina couldn't help the sarcastic words that fell from her lips because she was getting fed up with Artie's and the rest of the glee club members' behavior.

No other words were shared by either party and Tina ended up getting lost in her thoughts as she watched the people that were moving around them. She was startled out of her thoughts when she felt Puck get up from the bench and she turned her head to look at him. "You know, Cohen-Chang, you're not so bad. If Wheels doesn't see that, then he's a bigger idiot than I am." Tina smiled slightly at Puck. "Things will get better, Puck." He smirked at her and some of the old Puck was shining through his eyes before shaking his head. "Whatever you say, Asian. Catch you around." He walked off in some random direction and Tina could only shake her head as a small smiled danced on her lips. She picked up her back and headed in the opposite direction, so that she could end up at her home.

It had been a week since the unexpected run in with Puck and Tina had pushed it mostly to the back of her mind as she tried to get things straightened out between her and Artie. However, he was still being stubborn as a bull, so things were out of sorts between them despite her trying everything she can think of to get him to come around and at least be willing to hang out with her again. A sigh escaped the lips of the Asian girl as she tucked some hair behind her ear before closing her locker and heading towards Glee. She really did love being a part of the club despite all the drama that came with having jocks and Cheerios mix with the people who were at the bottom of social food chain. The choir room was on the other side of the building from her locker, so she struggled with the crowd of students trying to get out of the building at the end of the day because she felt like a salmon going up stream when it was time for said fish to spawn. As she past the locker room, Tina realized that someone had fallen in step next to her. So, she turned her head to the right and was surprised to see that it was Puck that had joined her in her walk to the choir room.

"Well, isn't this a surprise. What's the occasion, Puck?" She raised an eyebrow at him as he snorted in response. "Hello to you too, Girl Chang." Raising an eyebrow at him, she couldn't help chuckling lightly at his response. "Where  _are_  my manners? Hello Puck and how are you this afternoon?" Walking along with the resident bad boy, she could tell that he was a bit amused at her overdramatizing of her sentence in response to his greeting. It was fascinating to walk along with him because when people would stare at the unlikely pair that they made, he would simply glare at them and they'd turn their gaze away faster than Kurt moves when he discovers there is a sale on Alexander McQueen. "You know, it's not polite to not answer someone when said person asks you a question." The Asia girl looked at him because she was genuinely curious as to why he was walking with her. Puck shrugged his shoulders in response. "We're both going to the same place, so why the hell not?" Tina looked at him and saw that there was something in his expression that kept her from believing him fully but she didn't say anything because he'd have to admit to whatever it was. So, she decided to just drop it for now because she seen what he's like when he's pushed and that was never a pretty picture and add in the stress from the recent drama, it sounds like a recipe for disaster. As she continued to walk to the choir room with Puck, she was unaware of a certain someone watching them with his blue eyes and a frown on his face.

The glee club rehearsal passed without incident even though things were still tense between Puck, Quinn and Finn but most people were able to at least work with the bad boy without making any snide comments or anything. Tina was glad that things were starting to slowly, get back to normal because she loves the club more than anything but the drama makes it so awkward and uncomfortable. Now that the end of the day arrived for her, she was glad to be going home so that she could just have some time to herself and relax. Mr. Schue had kept her behind to ask her to see if she'd be willing to work with Mercedes on some costuming for their next performance and of course she agreed because the other girl was one of her closest friends but she knew that she would get questioned or rather, interrogated about what's going on with her and Artie. The Asian girl let out a sigh then came to a sudden stop because the boy she had just been thinking about, was only about 200 feet or so in front of her on the sidewalk, talking to someone she recognized from the Jazz band and she was starting to panic internally because she'd have to walk past him so that she could get home but she didn't want to deal with the dirty looks that he would be shooting her. Just as she was about to suck it up and walk pass him while she'd try to ignore the boy that still holds her heart, she was startled when someone tried to get her attention from a nearby vehicle.

"Oi! Cohen-Chang!" Looking around, Tina spotted the speaker standing outside of a nearby truck and somehow, she wasn't surprised when she saw that it was Puck who had called out to her. Shaking her head, she smiled as she headed in his direction, oblivious to the fact that she wasn't the only who Puck got the attention of and though she didn't know it, that was exactly his intention when he saw who else was out on the sidewalk.

Once she reached him, the Asian girl raised an eyebrow at him because she had no idea about what he could possibly want from her. "Did you need something Puck?" He smirked at her. "What makes you think that I want something?" She stared at the male, not believing what she was hearing him say. "Oh, I don't know…maybe because you don't tend to make it a habit to yell for across the school's parking lot where everyone could hear you." Puck leaned against his truck, still smirking at the oblivious girl in front of him. "Thought you could use a ride so that you wouldn't have to deal with Abrams." She shrugged her shoulders. "You're right but what's the catch?" There had to be something in it for him because she didn't that he'd do it just to be nice as that just wasn't like him. Puck smirked at her as he gestured to his truck. "Get in and I may tell you about it, Girl Chang." She thought about it for a moment then decided that she really didn't want to deal with Artie at the moment, so she nodded her head and went to get in the vehicle. The Asian girl didn't catch the look that the rough around the edges boy sent over her should or the glare that he got in return from the boy who loved looking like a grandpa before her got into the driver's seat and pulled out of the parking lot. No, she was too focused on what the guy sitting next to her could possibly want with her and whether or not accepting a ride from was a good idea in the first place.


	2. Everyone Loves Ice Cream.....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But not the recent developments.....

Tina was confused about what was going on and why she agreed to get into a car with Noah Puckerman in the first place despite her needing a way to avoid running into Artie. Looking over at him, she saw that his facial expression had changed once they left the school parking lot. It was more focused and intense now that they were away from people that they knew and she found herself oddly concerned for the mohawked boy since he hasn't said anything to her after he told her to get into his truck. As she was contemplating the virtues of jumping out of the moving vehicle or when it comes to a stop at a light or something, she noticed that Puck was pulling into a parking lot of some sort, a very familiar parking lot indeed; one where she used to come with Artie when they were actually talking and were friends. Shaking her head, she pushed all the thoughts of her former friend away as she turned to focus on the boy sitting next to her. Somehow, he could tell that she was staring at him.

"Come on, I want some ice cream." He exited the cab of the truck and she followed suit, making sure to grab her money before she did so. "I could do with some ice cream myself." Tina entered the ice cream, she shuddered as the blast of cold air hit her then walked up to the counter where Puck was ordering his ice cream. "We're not eating it here, so get it in something that you can eat on the go." He moved out of the way so that she could get her own ice cream and after scanning the choices, she decided on some green mint chocolate chip ice cream with some fudge sauce in a bowl. Once she paid and had her ice cream, she turned her attention to Puck to see where they'd go next. He simply walked back out of the shop and to his truck then she followed suit and climbed back into the truck.

"I want to go somewhere more covert or discreet in order to eat." Tina wasn't sure why he would want to do this but she was just going to go with it. Eventually, they ended up at a random park where he shut off the engine then started to eat ice cream. Several minutes passed as they ate their ice cream silence. Tina wondered if she would ever find out what was going on inside the boy's head and what made him act like he was. It was still as worrying as it was before when they ran into each other a week ago. She was about to say something when he spoke and startled her out of her thoughts.

"Quinn's giving up the baby." Tina turned to look at him and was saddened by the sight that was before her. The boy sitting next to her was so different from the normal confidant guy that she had become so accustomed to since he joined Glee club. This was just something so different than she could figure out, so she wasn't sure how to respond to him and apparently, he didn't need her to. "She made the decision without talking to me and refuses to let me having anything to do with the future of the baby, our baby that we made together." She felt her heart go out to him because she didn't think that it was fair for the blond to cut him out as it effects him just as much as her. Sure, it was her body that was carrying the baby, the physical scars would heal but the mental and emotionally wouldn't. "My father may be a dead beat parent but that doesn't mean that I would be the same. But all she sees me as is a Lima loser." Tina tired to figure out what to say to him, when he got out of the truck and slammed the door close behind him. Deciding that it would probably be better to let him have some time to cool down and gather himself, she continued to eat her ice cream as she thought about the whole situation that Noah Puckerman found himself in.

Twenty minutes later, Puck still hadn't returned to the truck, so Tina got out in order to go looking for him. Even if he didn't want it, he didn't deserve to deal with this alone. It took a little bit to find the boy but she eventually did, sitting at the base of a tree and seeming to be staring at nothing. She moved over careful, as to not startle him from his position then sat down next to him and just waited for something to happen. After a couple minutes, she decided to say something because she did not like the silence and she couldn't tell what his mental state was like.  
"

You know, what Quinn is doing isn't right or fair to you. Sure, she's carrying the baby but half of its genetics come from you. Both you and the baby both deserve better than this because it's not only her life that will be effected by this which should be taken into an account but isn't. Despite what your reputation may make me think, you're still human and deserve to be treated like one." Without thinking, she reached over and squeezed his hand quickly then let go, not noticing the twitch of his lips. Several more minutes passed in silence but Tina didn't seem to care before a thought occurred to her that she didn't think that anyone had the presence of mind to ask him as well, they really weren't talking to him.

"You said that you don't want to be like your father and that's really admirable, that you want to step up and take responsibility for what happened. But have you really thought that through? I mean, you're still young yourself and not even legal yet." Tina could tell that he was getting a little upset at her words and reflexively grabbed his hand. "Wait. I'm not trying to insult you or anything, I just want to help you make the right and informed decision. This would be a big change in your life and you need to be prepared for whatever happens." The Asian girl was startled when Puck ripped his hand away and glared at her. "You don't know anything about this. So just stop." He jumped up and sent another glare her way before storming off the way that she had come earlier. She called after him, "I know better than you think." Leaning against the tree, she was suddenly glad that she decided to grab her things before coming to look for him because she was sure that he'd be long gone by the time she got back to the parking lot. And she was right, by the time she got there, ten minutes had gone by and there were no vehicles to be seen anywhere. The Asian girl let out a sigh and began the long walk home.

The day felt like it was dragging on and it wasn't even lunch time. Tina let out a sigh as she put her books away from her first two classes then grabbed the ones that she need for her next two. She wasn't sure what to expect from today after everything that happened with Puck yesterday and it was kind of weird. The Asian girl was torn in two between wanting to go up to the resident badass to give him a piece of her mind and avoid him like the plague. It seemed like the choice wasn't going to be made by her because she knew that he was at school but hadn't seen him yet, so apparently, he chose the second option and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. As she was about to head off to her class, her locker was slammed shut by someone else, so she turned and found a blond glaring at her.

"What the hell are you doing with Puck?" Quinn didn't bother to beat around the bush, instead chose to go right to the point and that caught Tina off guard.

"I don't need to explain myself to you because its none of your business." As she turned to walk away, a hand grabbed her arm and pulled on it. "I'm not done with you. Puck's the father of my baby, so you need to back off." The Asian girl raised an eyebrow at the jealous blond. "Last time that I checked, you hated the fact that he's the father of your child, so excuse me if I won't let that fly." She bit her lip to keep from laughing at the look on the former cheerleader's face. "Let me tell you something, Fabray. On the whole, your decision to give up the baby is probably the right one so said child could get the life he or she deserves; however, your execution is sloppy. Just because you're the one that is carrying the baby doesn't mean that you're the only one that gets to make all the decisions about the child's future especially when the father shows interest in the child's well being. You do know, the baby only has half of your genetics, the other half comes from Puck, so he has as much of a right as you do. Besides, to put the baby up for adoption, you're gonna need him to sign over his parental rights as well."

Tina couldn't help shaking her head the blond who looked like she was getting ready to say something. Suddenly, her cheek was stinging because Quinn lost her temper and slapped her. "You have no idea about what's going on. Back off of Puck, this is your only warning." "He's his own person and you're not his girlfriend, so nothing you say matters." The former cheerleader glared at her again before storming off causing her to roll her eyes before walking into the nearest bathroom to check her face out because she thought that the other girl scratched her cheek, unaware that their little confrontation garnered some unexpected attention.

As she stood in the bathroom and looked into the mirror, Tina could make out a scratch on her cheek where Quinn's nails had collided with her skin. Letting out a sigh, she knew that most people wouldn't be able to really tell but then again, her friends weren't most people after all and she really didn't want to get into it with any of them. Suddenly, she caught sight of something out of the corner of her and turned to look where she saw that it was some cover up that was being held out by Santana with an undecipherable expression on her face. "It's Britts. You two are closer in complexion." She smiled at the cheerleader before using some of the cover up to cover the scratch up so no one could tell. "Thanks Santana." "Yeah, whatever." She watched as the Latina left the bathroom and she couldn't help chuckling lightly before following suit.

Lunch passed without incident and now she found herself in the library to do some work during her free period before she headed to glee rehearsal that afternoon. As Tina cracked open her math book and got ready to start answering the problems that were assigned for the homework when she heard someone cough to get her attention. Looking up, she was startled to see that it was Artie, who had approached her. This was certainly something that she had not been expecting and she wasn't sure that he meant to approach her because he was being all hesitant and wouldn't meet her eyes but she could tell that this separation was taking a toll on him as much as it was on her. Silence filled the air between them as she waited for him to say something.

"Um….hey Tina. Do you mind if I joined you?" Tina bit her lip because she knew that there were other open spots at different tables but he chose to come sit at the one that she was at, so maybe, things were starting to look up for them. "Sure, there's more than enough room for you to join me." Making sure that her things were contained, she watched as he took the space right across from her then returned her gaze to the math homework that she had started when he got her attention. After so long, this actually felt like there was some normalcy returning to her life and that the weird phase with Puck was starting to pass and they were returning to their normal roles at the school. Minutes passed by before something occurred to the Asian girl.

"I thought you normally had class during this period, Artie." His name felt so wonderful, falling from her lips that she almost missed what he said. "Mr. Logan managed to fall and sprain his ankle along with hitting his head on his desk, so class was canceled." She nodded her head in response and hoped that there wasn't anything wrong with the teacher before trying to return to her work but was stopped by Artie asking her something.

"Tee-Tina, do you think, um, that you'd want to come over? I miss you, miss what we had so maybe, we could talk about everything and start over?" He shot her a pair of those adorable blue puppy dog eyes that always made her melt but it didn't quite have the same effect that it used to. This was what she had wanted, right? Since they had their fight and he left her in the hallway in the wheelchair after she told him the truth. So, why wasn't she jumping for joy internally? A familiar face flashed in front of her eyes, of a guy who enjoys sporting a Mohawk. She shook her head to clear it of that image because Noah Puckerman had nothing to do with this and she wasn't going to have anything to do with him since he left her at the park the day before and didn't seem to want anything to do with her either. Returning her attention to Artie, she realized that she hadn't given him an answer because she was distracted by thoughts of Puck which made her want to slap herself on the forehead.

"That sounds like a good idea, Artie. We'll head over after glee finishes up for the day." The pair exchanged a couple of smiles, both not sure what the afternoon could bring them before packing up and heading to said glee club rehearsal. Tina was unaware that their conversation was being overheard by the one guy that she can't seem to get out of her head lately and her agreement made him frown in response.


	3. I Didn't See That Happening

Things were starting to look up for Tina since she was going over to Artie's once they were released from glee club rehearsal. She couldn't help the smile that blossomed when she thought about getting Artie back in her life, where he belongs but when she thought about the boy with blue eyes being her boyfriend; she felt a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach and not the good kind of feeling either. Shaking her head, she pushed the thought away because she wanted and still wants Artie for her boyfriend, so she wasn't sure why she'd feel weird about it now. A small voice in the back mentioned the name of another boy but she ignored it because there was no way that the voice had any idea what it was talking about. A tap on her arm brought Tina out of her thoughts and she looked to her right where Artie was sitting and saw that he was looking at her.

"Are you alright, Tee?" he whispered and she nodded her head in response. There was no need to worry him about nothing especially before they had a chance to talk everything through after all. She turned her attention to the front of the room and tried to concentrate on what Mr. Shuester was saying but she found that focus was difficult for her to achieve with her mind running at a hundred miles per hour. Feeling someone's gaze on her, she turned slightly and saw that it was Puck looking at her with a weird look on his face before turning to stare at Rachel. Ignoring the weird feeling that she got, she returned her attention to their teacher for the remaining of the time that they had their meeting.

Once the group parted ways to head to their individual homes, Tina fell into step with Artie and they headed to his house. She was trying to figure out what she wanted to say to her friend beforehand so that she didn't stutter or anything when she was trying to tell him exactly how she felt. It was finally time for them to move on from this and she was glad that Artie had been the one to approach her because even though she shouldn't have lied about her stutter at all, he was the one to roll away from her and not vice versa. The walk passed quickly and soon they approached a familiar house that she had not visited in weeks and it looked like the charming house had not changed much in that time. Grabbing the handles on his chair, Tina pushed her friend up the custom ramp that was on the side of the house and she grinned when she heard his mother singing along to the radio as they entered the house.

"Mom, I'm home and I brought home a friend!" Tina couldn't help rolling her eyes at his greeting for being very blunt. A woman with light brown hair and grey eyes stepped out of the kitchen when she heard her son and smiled brightly as she caught sight of Tina then walked over to her, where she embraced the younger female. "It's so nice to see you again, Tina. After all it's been awhile since your last visit." Leaning in, the older woman whispered in her ear, "Maybe now, Artie will get out of whatever funk he's been in lately." Letting her go, she smiled at the pair. "It's wonderful to see you as well, Mrs. Abrams." Hearing Artie cough, she laughed lightly as she waved at her friend's mother then followed in to his bedroom, where they would be able to talk in private.

The room was just like how she saw it the last time she was here except it showed that the it dealt with a lot more wear and tear lately than what was usual and she could guess as to why that was. Placing her bag on the floor near the door, Tina moved into and took in all the little things that she liked about Artie and showed that this was his room and showed off his personality. Deciding that it would probably be best, Tina moved over to his bed and sat down on the edge of it, just like she used to. The Asian girl looked over at her friend and saw that he was smiling the smile that he usually reserved for her and she could guess why as she returned the smile with the one she saved for him. She was about to say something to him, when Artie beat her to the punch.

"Tina I owe you the world's biggest apology. I was such a huge and dumb prat to you, something that you never deserved. I'm so sorry and I'm sorry that I didn't realize what was exactly at stake when you were being completely honest with me." Tina processed what he said while he took a moment to adjust his glasses. "Instead of being honored that I was probably the first person you told about that and admiring the courage that it must have taken for you to tell me at all, I just got defensive and ended up hurting the one person besides my parents that I never, ever wanted to." He rolled closer to her until he was as close as he could get without either being on the bed with her or having her in his lap and kept staring at her in the eyes. As she was about to say something in response, he held up his hand to let her know that he wasn't done. "I've missed you, Tee, a lot. Since the moment that we met, you've been my best friend and these past few weeks have been the worst in my life since the accident and I'm surprised that I didn't give in sooner." Tina couldn't help herself as she reached over and grabbed his hand so that she could squeeze it. "I really am sorry; Tina and I hope that you could forgive me though I'm not sure that I deserve it." Artie flashed her a small and soft smile as he waited for her to respond to his apology.

As she listened to her friend talk, Tina was processing the words that were coming from his mouth and what that could mean for her and them as a whole. It seemed like he was saying everything that she needed to hear from him and she bit her lip as she tried to figure out she wanted to say in response to his words. After a couple minutes, she knew somewhat what she wanted to say to Artie.

"Thank you, Artie. It means a lot that you've thought about all of that and came to that conclusion. You're right, it did take a lot of courage, every drop that was in my body to tell you one of my deepest and darkest secrets because you meant that much to me. Do you have any idea just how much your reaction hurt me, how many nights I've cried myself to sleep because of you." Her voice started off soft and calm but it quickly rose in pitch until she had jumped off of the bed and stood with her hands on her hips. The Asian girl looked down at the floor when she realized how she had spoken to him and was about to apologize when she felt Artie grab her hand and squeeze it. "You're right, I have no idea exactly how much my actions hurt you but I have some idea because you're not very good at hiding your emotions on your face and in your body language." Tina looked at him then leaned down and hugged him tightly, relishing in the feeling of his arms around her. A few minutes later, she pulled away and smiled at him which he returned.

"So….can we give us another shot, a real shot? Tee?"

It was another day at William McKinley High School for one Tina Cohen-Chang, not that she really cared at the moment. Her mind was running at what seemed like a million miles per hour so she really wasn't focusing on what was going on around her and that almost got her in trouble a couple times if it hadn't been for her friends, Kurt Hummel and Brittany Pierce funny enough. She didn't understand why the blond helped her and the other girl didn't push the matter because she thought Tina was being like her for once. However, the same could not be said for one Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, who prevented her from getting slushied by grabbing her arm and pulling her away before the jocks noticed her.

"Tina, what the heck is going on with you lately? You don't seem to be all here." She raised an eyebrow at her friend. "What do you mean Kurt?" The fashionista stared at her for a couple moments before answering. "Oh, I don't know, maybe you seem to not be paying attention to much of anything lately that's going on around you." The Asian girl just shook her head at her friend. "I'm fine, just have some things on my mind is all." Seeing that her friend seemed skeptical, Tina flashed him a bright smile at him. "Thank you for your concern but I'll be alright. If I need someone to talk to, I know who to come find." She started walking away because she needed to get to her locker before she headed off to lunch but her stomach was already starting to growl because she was really hungry.

Deciding that she didn't want to deal with people, especially Artie at the moment, Tina got her lunch then headed outside to find a nice quiet place to eat her food and just relax a little bit. Eventually, she found the best spot and sat down at the table before digging into her food and got lost in thought as she tried to figure out what she was going to do about Artie as well Puck even though she still didn't understand why he was on her mind since she hasn't talked to him in a couple of days. Funny enough, her thoughts seemed to act as a summons because Tina was startled out of her thoughts when Puck dropped his tray on the table and sat down next to her.

Looking over at him, Tina raised an eye brow in reaction to his presence. "Well, this is a surprise." Puck looked back at her with a similar expression on his face. "Hello to you too, Girl Chang. What's that supposed to mean?" She watched him as he opened his soda and take a sip of it. "I thought that you were avoiding me, so excuse me if I wasn't expecting to be graced with your presence." Tucking some hair behind her ear, she picked up her sandwich and took a bite of it as the pair fell into silence as they ate their lunch. Once she had finished her sandwich and was working on her chips, the boy broke the silence. "So Quinn still won't let me have anything to do with the baby." He let out a sigh and ran a hand over his Mohawk and she felt her heart go out for him because even if he had made a mistake, he was trying to own up to it but the blond former cheer leader wouldn't let him. "I'm sorry to hear that. She really isn't thinking this through, is she?" He looked over at her with an indecipherable expression and she thought that he was going to say something but didn't.

As Tina got up to throw her trash out so that she could head to her locker, she was stopped in her tracks when he spoke up. "So, heard about you and Wheels." "Yeah, we decided to give our friendship another try." Puck looked at her with his head to the side. "So, he didn't want to pick your relationship back up then?" She paused and bit her lip to figure out what to say to him. "No, he did but I thought that we should rebuild our friendship first before potentially making that leap." The can that he was holding fell to the ground as he processed her words. Looking over at him, she walked over and kissed his cheek before stepping back. "Things will work out in the end, Puck. I'm sure of it." Quickly walking away so that she didn't see his reaction to her action, the Asian girl missed the funny mix of emotions – shock, happiness and panic – that took up residence on his face.

Later when she was walking to her car because Glee had been canceled, Tina was surprised when Kurt and Mercedes came up to her. "Tina! Tina! Tina!" She patiently waited for them to catch up and catch their breaths so that they could tell her what they obviously had to share if their expressions were any indication. "You'll never guess what we just found out." "What?" The pair exchanged crazy smiles before dropping the bomb. "Puck is dating Rachel now."

 


	4. Green is Not Your Color

It's kind of crazy how one thing; one small event can change things for someone without anyone else realizing what happened. It happens all the time and when it happens, it stirs something inside the person that can't be changed back to how it was before the event happened and that can have serious consequences for the person. Such is the case for Tina Cohen-Chang and her event set her on a course that quickly spun out of her control. It had been several days since she found out about the formation of Puckleberry and her mind was fighting a war with her heart, which she was starting to realize the why and that was not sitting well with the Asian girl at all.

Four days after Kurt and Mercedes told her about Puck and Rachel, Tina was quickly making her way down the hallway so that she could avoid running into either of them especially if they were together. She didn't like the thought of Rachel dating Puck and would, subconsciously, glare slightly at the small and irritating brunette when no one was looking and they were in the same room. Her reaction to the whole thing was driving her crazy but she refused to acknowledge that she was jealous because there was no way that she could possibly feel something for Noah Puckerman, one of the jocks who made her life and the lives of her three friends a living nightmare. Nope, there was no way that that could happen to her. A girl like her never fell for a boy like him, not even in the fictional worlds of television, film and literature because, really, that was just asking for trouble.

Tina's mind was running at full speed and she was distracted by her thoughts, so when she went to turn a corner, she didn't notice someone standing there until she ran into him which forced to acknowledge his presence. A pair of arms reached out and steadied her so that she wouldn't end up on the floor because of the force of the unexpected contact.

"Woah there, Girl Chang. I know I'm hot and everything but there's no need to throw yourself at me." Tina looked up and glared at Puck as she pulled away from him roughly. This was definitely not what she wanted. "Whatever Puck," As she turned away from him, she felt Puck grabbed her wrist in order to hold her in place. "Hold up. What's the rush? A person could get the impression that you don't like me and don't want to be around me." Increasing the intensity of her glare, the Asian girl responded. "Well that person's a genius because that's right." Pulling her wrist, she broke the grip that the boy had on her wrist before walking away as she smirked to herself at the dumbfounded look on his face.

The rest of the girl's day went better, without any interaction with people that she was trying to avoid. However, good things don't last because Tina had glee that day, so there would be no avoiding either half of Puckleberry. Arriving early to the choir room, she moved towards the back row and placed her bag down on the chair next to her before pulling out her sketch book. Getting lost in her art work, she wasn't aware to someone coming into the room and sitting down on the free chair to her left.

"Hi Tina!" The Asian girl was startled out of her work by the bright and cheerful greeting. Looking to her left, Tina sent a small smile to the blond cheer leader. "Um, hi Brittany. Is there something that I could do for you?" She was curious as to why the other girl was sitting next to her because she was usually next to Santana and she didn't want to deal with the Latina because it usually never ends well especially when Brittany is involved. ""Sanny is out because she's sick and I don't want to sit by Q because she's being mean, more mean than before the stork visited her. So, San said that it would be okay if I sat by you for Glee. I don't know why though 'cause you bite people and take their souls but Sanny is my best friend and wouldn't be mean to me." Tina blinked as she listened to the blond talk and tired to figure out what exactly was being said. "I don't bite people but if I did, I promise I wouldn't bite you or Santana."

A few minutes later, she was startled out of her thoughts when she felt someone tugging at her hair then realized that it was Brittany looking at her blue streaks. Tina smiled at her before turning her attention back to the front of the room where Rachel was, yet again getting ready to perform another solo and she couldn't help rolling eyes, glad that she was sitting in the back where no one could see it. As rehearsal went along, she felt someone staring at her but she refused to look at whoever it was because she knew that it wasn't Artie because he was sitting on the other side of the room from where she could tell the person who was looking at her was. Finally annoyed enough that she couldn't ignore the feeling, she looked over and saw that it was Puck who was staring at her. Biting her lip, she shifted in her seat as she returned her attention to the front, unsure as to why he was looking at her like that especially when his girlfriend was in the front performing a song she could care less about.

Once Mr. Schuester let them out for the day, Tina grabbed her bag after saying good bye to Brittany then headed out of the room. When she had gotten outside, she saw Puck standing by his truck and looking at the door that she walked out of. Ignoring the boy with the Mohawk, she started off on her normal path, trying to move quickly but not be obvious about it because she didn't want to deal with him at the moment. Once a day was more than enough for the Asian girl though part of her did want to know why he was staring at her for the majority of Glee. Before long she arrived home and let out a sigh because she could finally relax without having to worry about anything. She was unaware that her night wasn't going to be as peaceful as she was planning it to be. But for now, she did her homework and made a snack, oblivious to how she will be spending her night.

Several hours after coming home from school and finishing off her homework, Tina was relaxing in her bed room after a wonderful dinner with her parents who now, went out for the night with a couple of their friends for drinks. As she was preparing to watch a movie on the television in her room, she heard her phone go off and letting her know that she had a text message, so she grabbed it without thinking because she thought that it was one of her friends. When she looked down at the screen, she was surprised to see who it was that messaged her but thankfully, it wasn't an unknown number because Mr. Schuester thought that it would be a good idea for each member in the club to have everyone else's.

**_To Tina: So, what's going on, Cohen-Chang? From: Puck_ **

**_To Puck: I have no idea what you mean. From: Tina_ **

**_To Tina: I call bullshit on that. You're smarter than this, Girl Chang. From: Puck_ **

**_To Puck: Whatever. This is nonsense. From: Tina_ **

After sending the last text to Puck, she let out a sigh as it didn't seem like there would be anymore texts exchanged between the pair, she made herself comfortable and turned on her movie. Once the movie was about a third or so through, something hit her window that made her jump. After a couple more times of it, she climbed off of her bed and went over to the window and opened to it so that she could look out to figure out what the problem was. The Asian girl was surprised to see Puck standing on the ground underneath the window.

"Come out, Tina. I want to talk to you." Taking a couple moments to consider the options, she nodded her head and closed the window most of the way but left it cracked so she could open it from the outside if needed. Five minutes later, Tina walked out her front door and looked around before spotting Puck parked on the street. Biting her lip, she closed the door then headed in his direction before realizing that he wanted her to get into the truck. She opened the passenger side door and climbed into the truck then he started up the truck and drove away. The pair drove for several minutes without a word being spoken between. Eventually, the Asian girl got tired of not knowing what was going on, so she broke the silence.

"You said that you wanted to talk, so talk Puckerman." She saw a smirk break out on his face before he responded to her comment. "I do and we will be first we need to get somewhere more appropriate." Rolling her eyes, she settled in against the seat and waited for him to find whatever place he was looking for so that they could have this conversation though she wasn't really sure what they needed to talk about.  _Oh, sure you aren't, Tina. Because you've totally been acting normal lately._ Shaking her head slightly, she pushed the thoughts away so that she could focus on the conversation that was ahead. Eventually, Puck pulled into the parking lot of the park that they had visited awhile ago together and where he left her to walk home on her own. Getting out of the truck, she followed him over to the nearby bench and sat down.

"So, are you gonna tell me the reason why you brought me out here at eleven at night?"  
Puck looked over at her and smirked before getting a serious expression on his face. "Care to tell me why you have been acting weird lately?" Tina raised an eyebrow at him. "What makes you think that I've been acting weird?" The boy just stared her down before she let out a sigh and leaned back against the bench. "So what if I have? What does it matter?" He looked at her then moved closer to her. "Maybe I've actually missed talking to you and hearing what you have to say even if it wasn't what I want to hear." A soft smile broke out on her face in response to his words. "You know, you're not so bad, deep down inside, Puck." She bit her lips because there was something else that she wanted to say and he could tell. "What? Got something else to say?" Tucking some hair behind her ear, she looked at him. "I just think that you'd do better if you dated someone that wasn't all about ego." "You may have a point there, Cohen-Chang."

Puck stared deep into her eyes with an unreadable expression on his face which caused Tina to shift slightly as she could tell that something was going to happen but she didn't know what would happen. Before she could say anything, he leaned in towards her then she felt his lips on hers in a gentle kiss. After a couple moments of being surprised, her eyes closed and she kissed him back in an identical manner.  _Wow, this feels really good. I guess there's something to the rumors after all._  A couple moments later, the pair separated and she smiled softly at him. She didn't think that she'd ever kiss Noah Puckerman but she did and found that she enjoyed it more that she thought that she could. Smiling softly at him and without thinking, she leaned in and kissed him for a couple moments. However, it quickly hit her what she had done and she jumped up from the bench and started to walk away which caused Puck to jump up as well.

"Hey, where are you going? Tina?" The Asian girl stopped but kept her back to him. "This was a mistake, Puck." He walked up next to her and made her look at him then continued to hold onto her hand. "What was a mistake?" Biting her lip, she tried to avoid looking at him in the eye. "Kissing you, being alone with you." He stared at her. "You have a girlfriend, Puck. I may not be Rachel's biggest fan but I refuse to be  _that_  girl who breaks a couple up." Pulling her arm out of his hand, she started walking away from him before he could respond to her words. As much as she enjoyed kissing Puck and spending time with him, she couldn't and wouldn't compromise her morals for anyone especially when there was a high risk of her getting hurt and embarrassing herself. Normally, she wouldn't try to walk home late at night and by herself but this time, she would make an exception because she didn't think that she could handle being in an enclosed space with Puck, now that he kissed her and she kissed him.

Upon reaching home, Tina was relieved to find that her parents were still out, so she headed up stairs after entering the house and locking the door behind her. She quickly changed into her pajamas and then climbed into bed, however, her rest was not peaceful as her mind replayed the kiss that she had shared with Puck and then, her mind decided to get creative, so it formed some other situations that showed her happy and in a relation with him instead of Rachel. But she knew that nothing was going to happen because the small brunette wouldn't let him go so easy because Tina could tell that she enjoyed the attention he paid her even though he wasn't Finn.

 


	5. Another Step in the Right Direction

Ever since Puck kissed her, Tina could not get him out of her head. There was just something in that moment, in the way that he kissed her that set off something inside of her. She wasn't sure what it was though but part of her and she didn't know how much, wanted to hold onto that feeling. Of course, in her mind, it didn't seem plausible because he was in a relationship with Rachel and it didn't seem like it was going to end anytime soon. But none of this kept her from dreaming of him and the kisses that they shared, much to her dismay. No matter how hard she tried, it was like it was on an endless loop in her mind that was going nonstop. It was now starting to drive her insane and she didn't know how much longer certain friends would buy her 'I'm just tired' excuse. Pushing those thoughts away, she tried to focus on what her teacher was saying.

The rest of the day passed with no problems though Tina was slightly disappointed that she hadn't seen much of Puck at all though she would not admit it, to anyone, even herself. Finally, she got home and was more than ready to unwind from the long day. Glee had been canceled because Mr. Schuester had been out sick and there was no one who could cover for him in the club. As she entered her house, she greeted her mother before heading upstairs to her bed room so she could tackle her math homework and get it out of the way for the rest of her night. The homework wasn't the most difficult that she's done, so she was quickly done with it within the hour that she had been home from school. Since that was the only homework that needed to get done, the Asian girl climbed onto her bed so that she could surf the net while watching some television. A few minutes later, there was a knock at her door causing her to look up.

"Tina, sweetie?" "The door is unlocked, come on in, Mom." The door opened to reveal an older Asian woman who smiled at her daughter. Tina placed her lap top to the side so that she could give her mother her full attention. "What's up, Mom?" "One of your friends are here to see you. Should I send him up?" "Sure, that would be great." "Will do. Oh, don't forget your father and I are going out to a dinner party, so you'll have to figure out dinner for yourself."

Nodding her head, she smiled brightly at her mother. After the other woman left, Tina was curious as to who it was coming to see her and why. If it had been Kurt, he would have just come right on up because he's been over here before and is the only male other than Artie but since her former flame can't get up stairs, she knows it couldn't be him. A few moments later, there was another knock at her door and she looked over before she was surprised to see who it was that was standing there.

"Hey Girl Chang. How's it going?" Tina raised an eyebrow at Puck as he sauntered into her bed room. "Um, hello Puck. Any particular reason that you're here?" He smirked at her as he moved over to the chair that was by her large window and flopped down on it. "Now, why does there have to be a reason for me to come over? Maybe, I just want to see you." She couldn't help rolling her eyes slightly even though she was somewhat amused by his antics. "Oh, I don't know….maybe because you have a girlfriend who I don't think would approve of you spending time with another girl." Puck started chuckling at her words which caused her to cock her head to the side because she didn't understand why he was laughing. "That would be right but it's out of date with what you know." "What do you mean Puck?" He met her gaze and had a serious look on his face. "It's simple. I don't have a girlfriend anymore."

Tina couldn't believe what she heard coming from his lips. "I'm sorry to hear that." To be honest, she actually was because she could see the differences between Rachel's relationship with Puck and her relationship with Finn. But the small brunette always did have an odd fixation on the Titans golden boy. Shaking her head, she returned her attention to the boy that was sitting on her chair, or at least he was. She quickly looked around and found him looking at her wall of photographs.

"Eh, its whatever. We're two hot Jews so it was fun and her legs look hot as hell in those short skirts of hers but anyone with brains could see what was goin' on with her." He snorted as he crossed his arms across his chest. The Asian girl knew exactly what was going on with the small brunette singer and the longing glances that she sent towards Finn. Tina may not be the most feminine female around but she still was a female who could follow her instincts. Besides, she had seen something similar happen with one of her female cousins.

She frowned when she saw a serious kind of look on his face that reminded her of one that she's seen in the mirror every so often since joining glee. Letting out a sigh, she didn't know if what she was going to do would be well accepted but she didn't know what else to do. Tina got off of her bed and headed over towards Puck, where she hugged him from behind because it was easier than trying to get in front of him as he was still studying her photographs intently. Feeling him tense because of her action, she was about to let go when he turned around in her arms and wrapped his arms around. Of course the moment couldn't last.

"Who knew that the Goth girl wasn't a Goth all the time?" Tina could just tell that he was smirking at her as he said that, so instead of looking up at him, she pressed her face into his chest. Somehow, she wasn't surprised that he found the few pictures that she had displayed that showed her in clothes other than what he was used to seeing her in. It was part of her agreement with her parents; she'd get to dress in whatever fashion she wanted on a normal day with minimal complaint (come on, she is her father's only daughter after all and there are teen boys in her life) if she'd dress more socially acceptable at important events or when her parents asked her to, which didn't happen that much. Since she knew that there wasn't anyone from her school that would see her in those moments, she easily agreed. Tina couldn't help smiling when she felt Puck kiss the top of her head though she was surprised because that wasn't a gesture she'd normally associate with him but then again, she was learning there was more to him than she knows.

"Yeah, yeah. So you found out one of my secrets, big whoop." Part of her wanted to stick out her tongue at him but she knew that it would be juvenile to do so. Tina realized what she said and bit her lip because she hadn't meant to and she knew that he was smart, therefore, would pick up on the part that she didn't want him to pick up on. "Secrets? Do tell, Tina." Tapping her chin, she looked up at him like she was thinking about it then shook her head. "Nope, I don't think that I will."

Wiggling out of his grasp, she moved over to the chair that he had been previously occupying, she sat down and stretched out, placing her feet on the foot rest. "Hey, I was sitting there, Girl Chang." She smirked at him. "You were but then you got up, so the chair became fair game." Puck took a few steps in her direction until he was standing in front of her then bent down, placing one hand under her knees and the other behind her back before picking her up and tossing her onto the bed before sitting down.

"You know, I could have dropped you on the floor but that would be mean." Tina rolled her eyes at the comment that her friend made. "Whatever you say Puck. Now, are you gonna tell me the real reason why you decided to come over here?" He tapped his chin with his finger like he was thinking about it then shook his head. "Nope, I don't think that I will." This caused her to roll her eyes again because she knew that he was copying her reply from earlier. Letting out a sigh, she decided that she was not going to fight him on this so, she'd let him stay until he chose to leave or was kicked out by her overprotective father, whichever came first.

Eventually, it was decided that he'd join her for a pizza and a movie. Puck said that she could choose the pizza if he got to choose the movie, so with a suspicious glance, she agreed. The pizza wasn't bad but the movie was a very gory and action packed movie that she wasn't aware that her family owned and he got a couple smacks to the arm because that was not the kind of movie that she enjoyed. Though she'd never admit it, she liked when he did the whole cheesy 'arm over the shoulder but trying to be subtle about it' gesture. Tina's father did, in fact, ask him to leave because of the time and with a wink that only Tina caught, he left her house with her shaking her head but smiling at the same time.

A couple days after Puck's visit to her house, Tina was getting a few things out of her locker when she sensed another presence next to her. Turning her head, she was surprised to see Santana leaning against the locker and looking at her with an intent look on her face. As she was about to ask the Latina about what she wanted, the Asian girl suddenly felt someone hug her from her left side.

"Um, hi Brittany. Is there something that I can do for you?" Instead of having the blond girl answer her, it was the other girl who did. "We're going shopping this afternoon after Glee, and we want you to come with us." Tina raised an eyebrow at the answer because she was surprised as that was like the last answer she had been expecting. "Now why do you think I'd want to go with you two? I mean, we have nothing in common when it comes to style. In fact, I haven't seen either of you in something other than your cheerleading uniform or the dresses we wear when performing for glee."

Santana shrugged her shoulders in response. "So? I wanna have a chat with you and I also need to some shopping, so I'd figure I would kill two birds with one stone." Pausing to think about this, she decided that she probably wasn't being asked but told. Feeling her arm being tugged on, she turned her head and saw Brittany pouting at her. "Pleeease Tina? It would be a lot of fun." Biting her lip, she looked between Santana and Brittany for a couple moments before nodding her head. "Great, we'll head out as soon as rehearsal is over. So glad that Coach decided to cancel today's practice. See ya later, Girl Chang." The Asian girl watched the two other girls walk off with their pinkies linked and she shook her head because she really didn't understand either of them.

Several hours later found Tina packing up her back for the day as the latest New Directions rehearsal came to an end. After Santana told her about the mall, she had done some thinking – about the two girls she'd be shopping with, why Santana wanted to have a chat with, and what she was going to do about Puck and Artie. There was so much going on in her head, that she really didn't focus on what was going on around her, not that she needed to because it wasn't like she was going to get a solo as her name wasn't Rachel Berry. A few minutes later, she was sitting in the back seat of a black car that she didn't the brand off, on her way to the mall with two of the girls that used to be big tormentors of her just because she chose to be herself and not follow the crowd. She knew that it was going to be an interesting experience if nothing else. Watching Brittany bounce in her seat, Tina couldn't help smiling at the blond girl. The drive to the mall wasn't look nor particularly difficult so she found herself exiting the vehicle and standing with the other two girls.

"So where did you two want to go to?" Tina was hoping to make a top at Hot Topic so that she could pick up a new outfit and skirt along with some accessories as well. Santana looked at her for a moment before deciding on something. "There's this cute shop that carries some very feminine but hot clothing and accessories. One of my favorites in fact." The Asian girl nodded her head because she didn't mind going to a store that she normally didn't because it wasn't her type of store as she knew the girls that she was with had a different sense of fashion than she did. Seeing Tina nod her head, the Latina led the way to the shop which wasn't that far from the mall's entrance. Looking around, she knew that she was right that this wasn't one of the those shops. Santana wandered over to one area of the shop and started to pull a few things from the racks. There was a tug on her arm and she turned to see that it was Brittany.

"Why are you just standing here, Tina?" The Asian girl looked at the blond because she thought that it was obvious. "The clothes in this store aren't really my thing, Brittany." The blond pouted at her and it was the first time that Tina had seen it but she had heard of it and found herself unable to resist. "Alright, I'll look around but I don't think that there will be anything that I want to buy." The blond smiled brightly before bouncing off in a random direction. She couldn't help chuckling as she wandered over to where some different colored accessories were on display and looked through them. A cherry red hat caught her eye and she was reaching out for it before her brain caught up with her body. Deciding it wouldn't anything to try it on, she found a mirror nearby and put the hat on before looking in the mood.

"See, Girl Chang, a little color doesn't hurt." Tina spun around at the sudden appearance of Santana Lopez. The Latina looked her over then smirked before grabbing her arm and pulling her to the area where there were clothes. "The color looks good on you. Now let's see if we can't get you into something more figure flattering." Tina frowned at the other girl. "I don't need a makeover, Santana. I dress this way to express who I am." The other girl stopped moving and looked at her without saying anything for a few moments. "I get that but trust me, you're going to want to have this in your closet. Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow but you will. Every girl needs to have that one outfit that makes her look like the best bitch in the room." She nodded her head at the Latina because it made sense but she's worried because she has no idea what the outgoing and confidant female has in store for her. Before she knew it, she found herself shoved into a changing room with a bunch of outfits that had been picked out for her.

About fifteen minutes and countless outfits later, Tina was standing in front of the two cheerleaders, waiting for their opinion. The two girls looked at each other then nodded before turning back to her. "This is definitely the outfit. Go change, you're definitely getting it, Asian." Tina bit her lip because she didn't like being told what to do but she had to agree; she really liked how she looked in the outfit and thought that it could get Puck's attention. After she paid for the outfit, hat and a few other accessories, the trio continued doing their shopping and the Asian girl took great pleasure in dragging the other two girls into Hot Topic and the looks on their faces but she'd never admit it.


	6. Here We Go?

The noise of the hallway was muted as the female walked down the hallway with purpose. She knew what she had to do wasn't going to be easy but it was the right thing for both of them, in the long run even if the other person won't agree with that right after it happens or even before it does. Soon, she caught sight of her target and took a deep breath before approaching him.

"Hey Artie, do you think we could talk later?" Tina stood there nervously as she played with the hem of her shirt. The wheelchair bound boy turned to her and nodded his head. "Of course, Tee. Anything for you." She smiled weakly at the hopeful look in his eyes before quickly turning around and walking off, unaware that she was being watched.

Several hours later, the young Asian girl was sitting in a booth across from her best friend. He was staring at her with those bright eyes of his that could stare into her soul. Tina tried to start the conversation a couple times before she heard Artie let out a sigh which caused her to look at him.

"I think I know what this is about, Tee. You just want to be friends with me now." The look on his face struck her in the heart because it was exactly what she wanted to tell him but it still hurt. "Artie….." "No, listen to me. I had my chance and I messed it up and now, someone else has gotten in there." She was shocked at his words and she was sure that it showed on her face.

"Hey, I may be slow on the uptake but I'm not blind, Tina. You're different when you're around Puck and it's the same with him." Biting her lip, she took in the understanding look that was on his face. "I still care about you and you're my best friend." "I know and you're still mine as well but I want you to be happy and I think he could make you that. Though, his head is mine if he does anything to hurt you."

She smiled at her friend because she was lucky to have a friend like him in her life. "He also better know that I'll be waiting in the wings if he does mess up because you're amazing and I know I'll still want you but for now I'm going to back off." The Asian girl reached over the table and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Artie."

An hour later, after an enjoyable afternoon out with her best friend after the serious talk, Tina was sitting around her house and trying to figure out how to tell Puck about her feelings for him. She couldn't believe that she was actually going to do it but really, it was the only thing that she could do now that Artie was going to remain just her best friend. Grabbing her phone, she scrolled through the numbers before finding the one she was looking for and sending off a text, asking him to come over because she had something that she needed to tell him.

Tina had gotten lost in her thoughts, so when she felt someone sit down next to her on the couch, she jumped slightly before turning to face the person who chuckled at her reaction. "Damn, didn't know you scared so easily, Cohen-Chang." She glared at him slightly before shaking her head. "I didn't hear you come in, Puck." "Obviously." Biting her lip, she tried to not roll her eyes. "So there was something you wanted to tell me?" Turning to look at him, she took a deep breath.

"I like you, as more than just a friend." She watched him to see what his reaction was to her confession but as the minutes went by, she got more nervous so she got up from the couch and went to the window or tried to because he suddenly grabbed her before pulling her close. The Asian girl tried to say something but couldn't because he kissed her. Then he pulled away and looked at her, "About damn time." She raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything as she pulled him into a kiss.

Tina lies curled up against Puck's side and lets out a sigh of contentment because she never thought that it would be like this but she found that it was better than she would have thought possible. "This is….pretty nice." She smiled when she felt him kiss the top of her head. "Yeah it is. Wanna know what's even better?" Turning her head, she looked at him because she wondered what it could be. "You being my girl." She rolled her eyes because she wasn't really asked but yet, it made her happy to be called  _his_  girl. "You're really something else, you know that?" Another kiss. "Yeah but you like it this way." The Asian girl could only laugh lightly in response.

Time often doesn't cooperate when one wants it to, moving too fast when someone wants to savor every moment and moves too slow when someone wants it to get over with. A few weeks had passed since the most unexpected couple in New Directions came together and out to their friends. Of course, the ones who weren't observant or in the know were completely surprised when they saw Tina walking hand in hand with the resident badass. There had been a lot of loud exclamations, questions and general confusion but in the end, like everything else that happened within the club, the relationship was accepted by the majority of the members with two glaring exceptions. When Rachel asked Puck about whether or not Tina was the real reason for him being distracted during their short lived romance, he neither confirmed nor denied her allegation but tightened his hold on his girlfriend, this set off the short brunette until she stormed out of the room, saying that everyone was against her. The Asian girl met Santana's eyes and rolled her eyes which caused the Latina to smirk a bit in response. The other one who wasn't happy with the development was Quinn but thanks to a look from Santana, she kept her mouth shut and she only huffed with her arms across her chest. Eventually, they were able to get down to focus on preparing for Regionals though not with glances being sent the couple's way every so often.

The day of Regionals had arrived and the members of New Directions were filled with equal parts of anxiety and excitement. The energy was good and all of the drama of the past few months was pushed to the side as everyone focused on what they needed to do to pull off the win against Vocal Adrenaline. Leaning against one of the walls, Tina looked around the group of people who had, somehow, became her friends for the most part and how they were dealing with the stress of the competition. Suddenly, she felt a hand grab hers and pull her out of her thoughts and she looked to her left where she smiled when she saw that it was her boyfriend.

"Hey Puck. Did you need something?" He pulled her into a hug. "Just thought I should check on my girl 'specially when she has a serious look on her face." Tina leaned her head against his shoulder. "Your girl is fine, nervous and excited but fine mostly. She's thinking about the competition, mostly." Puck raised an eyebrow at her. "Mostly?" Reaching up, she kisses his cheek. "And getting some ideas for how to spend my night." Tina couldn't help chuckling lightly at the look on her boyfriend's face as he wasn't able to say anything because Mr. Schuester called the group together for one last pep talk before they took the stage. Once she was on stage, she looked over at her boyfriend and smiled when he met her gaze, unaware of what would unfold once they were done performing.

The reaction wasn't instant as everyone stared at the blond former cheerleader until their fearless leader took control and ushered everyone but Rachel out to the vehicles so that they could get Quinn to the hospital. Tina sat next to her boyfriend who held her hand in a tight vice grip as she tried to get him to breathe and not pass out. She could hear Mercedes towards the front of the bus, trying to help Quinn and she smiled slightly before turning her attention back to Puck. Her hand was starting to hurt and she was getting worried about him because he was so quiet but kept whispering reassurances to all the way up until they were standing outside the delivery room. After she pried her hand free, she gave her boyfriend a small shove in the direction of the room. "Go, everything will be fine. I'll be out here waiting for you." With one kiss to his cheek, she smiled slightly when he nodded his head and went in. Tina walked over to an empty chair next to Santana and sat down, nodding her head at the Latina when she gave her a small smile.

Some time later, bodies were sore from sitting around the waiting room when Quinn's mother came out to tell them that both the baby and Quinn were fine. The tension in the room was broken as everyone let out sighs of relief. Tina decided that she needed to stretch because her legs had fallen asleep, so she said that she was going for a short walk so that she could regain feeling. After receiving a nod from her teacher, she got up and stretched her arms before walking off in a random direction. A few minutes later, she found herself near the nursery and was about to head to the bathroom when she heard a pair of familiar voices so her feet started walking in that direction before she could think it through. Looking around the corner, she saw her boyfriend and Quinn standing together and she bit her lip because she got a weird feeling so she quickly walked away before anything happened and she decided to see if it was time to go back to see if they won regionals.

New Directions wasn't going on to Nationals and though they were disappointed, they knew that they had a chance next year because of a certain cheerleading coach. After looking back at the year, they realized that they gained a lot so the year wasn't a bust. The summer was fast approaching and both the couples and singles were looking forward to some serious summer fun with the most unusual group of friends ever assembled. Tina couldn't help thinking about what her freshman year brought her and she wondered about could possibly happen next year. However, all she knew was that she was happy with her friends and especially her most unexpected boyfriend.


End file.
